Absolute construction is not the sentence itself, but an adverbial in the sentence, indicating time, reason, condition, accompaniment and so on.
Function of absolute structure
Independent structure is mainly used in descriptive writing, and its function is equivalent to an adverbial clause, which is often used to express time, reason, condition, behavior or accompanying situation. For example:
1) indicates the time.
After the meeting, we all went home. We all went home after the meeting.
After she finished her work, she sat down for a cup of tea. She finished her work and sat down to drink tea.
2) Representing conditions
If conditions are possible, he may succeed. If conditions are favorable, he may succeed.
3) indicate the reason
There is no taxi, so we have to walk. There is no taxi, so we have to walk.
It was dark and cold at night, so he wrapped her carefully. The night was dark and cold, so he wrapped her up.
4) explain the accompanying situation
Almost all metals are good conductors, and silver is the best. Almost all metals are good conductors, and silver is the best. Almost all metals are good conductors, and silver is the best. )
Common absolute structures are as follows:
1. Noun/nominative pronoun+present participle. The subject-predicate relationship between nouns/nominative pronouns and present participles. For example:
The girl stared at him and he didn't know what to say. The girl looked at him and he didn't know what to say.
If time permits, we will go for an outing tomorrow. If time permits, we will go for an outing tomorrow.
2. Noun/nominative pronoun+past participle. The verb-object relationship between nouns/nominative pronouns and past participles. For example:
The problem has been solved and the quality has been improved. With the solution of the problem, the quality has been improved.
Her glasses are broken and she can't see the words on the blackboard. Because her glasses are broken, she can't see the words on the blackboard.
3. Noun/nominative pronoun+infinitive. There is a subject-predicate relationship between nouns/nominative pronouns and infinitives, which emphasizes a specific action. For example:
He is going to make a model plane with some old parts. With the help of some old parts, he wants to make a model plane.
They said goodbye to each other, one went home and the other went to the bookstore. After they said goodbye, one went home and the other went to the bookstore.
4. Nouns/nominative pronouns+adjectives. For example:
The plane crashed, no one lives. The plane crashed, no one lives.
With so many people absent, the meeting had to be cancelled. With so many people absent, the meeting had to be cancelled.
5. Nouns/nominative pronouns+adverbs. For example:
He put on his sweater inside out. He put on his sweater inside out.
They all went home as soon as the meeting was over.
6. Nouns/nominative pronouns+prepositional phrases. For example:
The boy went to the classroom with a book in his hand. The boy went to the classroom with a book in his hand.
Mary sat by the fire with her back to the door. Mary sat by the fire with her back to the door.
7. There are+nouns (pronouns), such as:
As there was nothing else to do, we went home. There was nothing else to do, so we went home.
There is nothing else. I declare the meeting closed. There is nothing to discuss, so I declare the meeting closed.
8.it being+ nouns (pronouns), such as:
Because it is Christmas, the government offices are closed. All government offices are closed because of Christmas.
Because it is a holiday, all the shops are closed. Because today is a holiday, all the shops are closed.
Characteristics of absolute structure:
1) The logical subject of the absolute construction is different from the subject of the sentence, and it exists independently.
2) Nouns or pronouns are subject-predicate relations with the following participles, adjectives, adverbs, infinitives and prepositions.
3) Absolute structures are generally separated from the main clause by commas.
For example:
The exam was over and we began to have a holiday.
After the exam, we started our holiday.
The exam was over and we began to have a holiday.
The assassination of the president plunged the whole country into grief.
After the assassination of the president, the whole country was immersed in grief.
The president was murdered and the whole country was immersed in grief.
Weather permitting, we will go to see you tomorrow.
Weather permitting, we will go to see you tomorrow.
Having done this, we went home.
We didn't go home until the work was finished.
The meeting is over and everyone wants to go home early.
After the meeting, everyone wants to go home early.
He entered the room, his ears red with cold.
When he returned to the house, his ears were frozen stiff.
He walked out of the library with a thick book under his arm.
He walked out of the library with a thick book under his arm.
Note: Independent structures can sometimes be preceded by the preposition with.
Don't sleep with the window open. Don't sleep with the window open.
He is lying in bed with all his clothes on. He was lying in bed with his clothes on.
She came in with a book in her hand. She came in with a book in her hand.
He fell asleep with the light on. He fell asleep without turning off the light.
I can't go on holiday because my mother is ill. I can't go on holiday because my mother is ill.
He sat there with his eyes closed. He sat there with his eyes closed.
He worked with the door locked all afternoon. He worked in the room with the door locked all afternoon.
There are so many clothes to wash that I can't go out. I can't go out and wash these clothes.
When using the independent nominative case, we should pay attention to four points:
1. Conversion of Independent Subject and Adverbial Clause When the subject of the adverbial clause and the subject of the main clause do not refer to the same object, the independent structure can be used to replace the adverbial clause, but the conjunction is no longer retained. For example, after class, the students left the classroom soon. After class, the students left the classroom quickly.
Being (used to be) cannot be omitted. In the following two cases, be (or have been) in the absolute construction cannot be omitted.
(1) When the logical subject of the independent nominative is a pronoun. Because it was Sunday, we went to church. Because it was Sunday, we went to church.
(2) In the existential++noun structure. As there is no bus, we have to walk home. As there is no bus, we have to walk home.
3. Generally, possessive pronouns or articles are not used. In the absolute structure of "noun (or pronoun)+prepositional phrase", possessive pronouns and articles of adjectives are generally not used. Miss Smith came into the classroom with a book in her hand. Miss Smith came into the classroom with a book in her hand. Compare the composite structure of. Miss Smith came into the classroom with a book in her hand.
The editor-in-chief came and we started the meeting. The editor-in-chief came and we started the meeting. (compare the gerund compound structure. )
Usage of independent structure
Absolute structure mainly expresses the time, reason, condition or accompanying situation of predicate verb, which is equivalent to adverbial clause or compound sentence.
1. Used as an adverbial of time: After the work was finished, we went home.
They will go to the beach tomorrow, and if the weather permits, they will organize a small seaside tour tomorrow.
There will be an important lecture tomorrow, and the professor has to stay up late. Because there is an important lecture tomorrow, the professor has to stay up late.
He was lying on the grass with his hands crossed under his head.
We redouble our efforts, and everyone works like two people. We redouble our efforts to let one person do the work of two people.
* Note: When absolute construction indicates time, condition or reason, it is equivalent to adverbial clause, which is usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, and can also be placed at the end of the sentence when it indicates reason; When indicating the accompanying situation or supplementary explanation, it is equivalent to a complex sentence, which is usually placed at the end of the sentence.
Appreciation of wonderful problems of absolute structure
Please look at the following question:
There is a garden not far from the school. The owner of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ sits in the garden and plays chess with his little grandson every afternoon.
A.whose is this?
It's easy to choose the wrong B when analyzing this problem. Many students will think that commas in sentences are unrestricted attributive clauses, and who is used as the attributive in attributive clauses to modify the noun owner behind them. This analysis looks seamless on the surface, but it is wrong in essence, because the space is not a sentence at all, because there is no predicate. Although there are two verbs in the sentence, they are both non-predicate verbs. Some students may think that seated can be used as a predicate verb, but note that when seated is used as a verb, it is always transitive, followed by an object or used in the passive voice, so if you add the auxiliary verb is before seated, you can choose B (of course, you should also choose B if you change seated to sitting). So the best answer to this question is a.
Look at another similar example:
(1) He wrote many novels, many of which were translated into foreign languages.
A.this d that
He wrote many novels, many of which were translated into foreign languages.
(1) You should choose B instead of C, because the past participle (non-predicate verb) is translated in the sentence. If c is selected, this clause has no predicate. Choose d in the second sentence because there is a predicate in the sentence.
Look at the following example:
(3) He wrote many novels, and many _ _ _ _ _ _ _ were translated into foreign languages.
A. which d. that
Analysis shows that this problem is different from the above problem (2). There is a coordinate conjunction and between the two sentences, which shows that this is a complex sentence, and B should be chosen instead of C.
Please ask the following three questions (all answers are B):
(1) I met several people there, two of whom were foreigners.
A.which b, they c, who d that
I met several people there, two of whom were foreigners.
A. who's who?
(3) I met several people there, two of whom were foreigners.
A.which b, they c, who d that